GOD TV
GOD TV is an international Christian television broadcaster that transmits the GOD Channel from Jerusalem.[2]
The network’s Free-to-air (FTA) signal is carried via multiple satellites 24-hours-a-day providing programming at no charge to viewers. This ranges from Bible teaching to motivational seminars, youth concerts and live events. GOD TV claims a viewership nearing half a billion people.[3] Its stated mission is to reach one billion people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through multi-media evangelism.
GOD TV was founded by Rory Alec and Wendy Alec.
History and distribution
GOD TV was established in the United Kingdom in 1995, initially as the Christian Channel Europe (CCE), and became Europe’s first daily Christian Network.[4] It began in the Alecs' home in London, broadcasting one hour a day, but grew to seven hours, then to 24-hours covering the European continent.
In 1997 The Independent newspaper described Rory and Wendy Alec as "the new faces of religious broadcasting.” [5] and the name of the network changed to The GOD Channel. In 2002 it became known as GOD TV and the network's broadcast headquarters moved to Israel.
The GOD Channel became available via satellite in Africa in 2002 [6] Since then, five terrestrial transmitters have been built in Kenya.
GOD TV launched in Asia in 2002; Indian Television.com includes the GOD Channel in its list of "best-known spiritual channels."[7] GOD TV launched in Hong Kong in 2004 and Australasia in 2005.[8]
GOD TV launched in the USA in 2006 and now reaches about 20 million American homes,[9]
GOD TV has offices in Washington, D.C.; Orlando, Florida; and Kansas City, Missouri. Other offices are located in Europe, Africa and Asia.
The network started reaching China in 2008.[10]
Programming content
The GOD Channel's 24-hour schedule includes Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, John Hagee, Mike Bickle, Rick Joyner, TD Jakes, Andrew Wommack, Chuck Missler, Brian Houston, Bill Johnson and Sam P. Chelladurai
The GOD Channel also features live broadcasts, including worldwide satellite link-ups such as the Global Day of Prayer, founded by Graham Power where GOD TV broadcast from South America for the first time in 2009.[11]
Angus Buchan's Mighty Men Conference has been carried live from South Africa with 400,000 men in attendance.[12] and evangelist Reinhard Bonnke has been filmed live from Nigeria.[13]
GOD TV’s programming sometimes supports causes such as making a stand against human trafficking [14] or benefit concerts to raise funds to drill water wells in Africa.[15]
Much of GOD TV's programming caters for a youth audience [16] with LIVE broadcasts from teen events like Acquire the Fire, Soul Survivor (charity) and Live Audacious, and concerts featuring Christian bands such as Delirious? (disbanded in 2009), Leeland and Switchfoot.
GOD TV's programming has won several awards from the UK Christian Broadcasting Council, including Best Live Event Programme in 2011 for Angus Buchan's Mighty Men Event [17] and Best Youth Programme for Soul Survivor Extr.a [18]
American singer, actor and writer Pat Boone endorses the channel, and has participated in its work.[19]
International coverage
The GOD Channel schedule is the same worldwide, time-shifted for each region:[20] USA, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australasia. The network can be watched via satellite, cable, IPTV, terrestrial transmission and online via the Internet.
- North America including USA: The God Channel is available as a free service via satellite in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean on Glorystar Christian Satellite Christian Satellite on Channel 102. The channel is distributed on satellite Galaxy 19 (97W) as a free to air channel.
- USA: The GOD Channel can be found on satellite channel 365 of DirecTV.[21] It is available in some US cities via cable.[22]
- Europe: The GOD Channel can be watched via satellite in the UK on Sky channel 580, and Freesat channel 694.[23] It can also be seen on cable on Virgin Media channel 249 as well as WightCable and Smallworld Cable. Some European networks carry GOD TV in their satellite/cable television packages in Belgium, France,[24] Germany,[25] Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. The channel is also available through P2PTV service Zattoo.
- UK: The Angel Foundation is GOD TV's registered charity in the UK and is regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Based at Angel House in Sunderland, England, the Angel Foundation states that it is committed to "the advancement of the Christian religion and education, and the relief of poverty, distress and sickness." [26]
GOD TV is "potentially available to up to 14 million homes". [27] This includes one million homes added in August 2010 with the network's launch on free-to-air digital satellite platform Freesat.
- Asia:The GOD Channel can be viewed by cable in cities across India. It can also be accessed via satellite in Greater China and via cable in Nepal, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and Macau.[28]
- Africa: The GOD Channel is available via satellite throughout Africa. It can be watched via terrestrial transmission in Kenya [29] and on the TOP TV satellite platform in South Africa.[30]
- Australia:The GOD Channel can be watched on the Optus 3B satellite.[31]
Israel tour
GOD TV hosts annual tours to Israel, which include visiting Bible sites and staging events that are broadcast worldwide. 1,800 pilgrims toured Israel with GOD TV in 2008 and attended 'A Celebration of Israel's 60th Anniversary'. Held at the Davidson Center alongside the Western Wall in the Old City, this was attended by Jewish and Christian guests.[32]
Satirical reviews on GOD TV have been published in The Guardian [33] and The Daily Mail.[34] and the network has been cautioned by Christians who disagree with the theology presented by some of its programmes. Peter Glover of the Christian Research Network described it as 'heretical'.[35] Pastor John Piper and the Christian magazine Christianity Today have criticized Word of Faith televangelists in general and GOD TV in particular for spreading "prosperity theology" among the world's poorest peoples, calling televangelists to use their influential positions responsibly.[36]
GOD TV was fined £20,000 by the now-defunct Independent Television Commission for an advertisement which was adjudged to contain political partiality for denouncing the practice of homosexuality.[37]
GOD TV has been criticised for its on-air appeals. In May 2010 it held a 'GOD TV Broadcast Alert' asking for its viewers to help meet a $4-million shortfall.[38]
In 2009 GOD TV gave the Jewish National Fund US$500,000 to plant trees on land inhabited by Bedouin tribes in Israel's Negev region. A coalition of Jewish and Arab human rights groups denounced the project, accusing GOD TV and the JNF of teaming up to force the Bedouin out of the area to make way for Jewish-only communities.[39]
References
- ^ http://www.god.tv/node/1
- ^ Linde, Steve. "Live from Jerusalem, it's GOD TV!", The Jerusalem Post, Jerusalem, 26 May 2007.
- ^ Linde, Steve. 'Live from Jerusalem, it's GOD TV!' - "GOD TV's "global transmission center" in Jerusalem beams up satellite feeds of "a new breed of Christian broadcasting" to some 200 nations and territories 24 hours a day, claiming a potential viewership of up to half a billion people.", The Jerusalem Post, Jerusalem, 26 May 2007.
- ^ Popham, Peter. 'Putting the Spirit in the Sky' - “Two young charismatic Christians have come out of nowhere and... enabled the televangelists to get a foot inside British television's door. Their names are Rory and Wendy Alec… Their baby is Christian Channel Europe (CCE), and it is the first dedicated Christian channel to cover the continent of Europe.”, The Independent on Sunday, London, 1 October 1995.
- ^ McCann, Paul. "Rory and Wendy Bring God up to date", The Independent, London, 2 December 1997.
- ^ Carew, Douglas. 'Switch on to GOD TV - a heavenly new channel' - “South Africans now have satellite access to a TV station named after God, after GOD TV hit the country's television airwaves"., Cape Argus, Cape Town, 31 May 2002 .
- ^ Pherwanieema, Sseema. 'Indiantelevision.com Special Report' "There are millions of viewers across the country seeking salvation via the tube. In an angst driven and time-pressed society, viewers are lapping up the best of what the spiritual channels have to offer. A few years ago, there were just a few of them… Now there are many more - there is Aastha, Sanskar, Sadhana, Jagran, GOD TV , Miraclenet and QTV, to name the better known ones.", 4 June 2005.
- ^ 'Free Christian Satellite TV - Australia and NZ'
- ^ 'GOD TV Tops 20 Million Homes in the USA', Christian Newswire, 20 July 2009
- ^ 'GOD TV debuts in China' - “For the past four years, global Christian broadcaster GOD TV has been steadily making inroads into the Far East with daily broadcasts in Hong Kong. But now, in an unprecedented development, millions in China can access GOD TV's mix of Christian programming 24-hours-a-day."., Christianity Today 20 October 2008.
- ^ 'GOD TV to broadcast Global Day of Prayer live', Christianity Today 25 May 2009.
- ^ 'GOD TV to air Angus Buchan men's conference', Christianity Today 23 April 2009
- ^ 'Christian Television World First for GOD TV' - "America's newest Christian network, GOD TV today announced that it will be screening world-renowned Evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke’s latest mass crusade – LIVE from West Africa to the USA and across the globe next week", 25 May 2007.
- ^ 'GOD TV, Musicians Partner Against Human Trafficking', Dakota Voice, 29 January 2009.
- ^ 'Benefit Concert strikes water for Africa' - "Angel Mission Benefit Concert raises funds to drill wells in Kenya as water gushes LIVE from a drilling rig on GOD TV", Angel Mission, 2009.
- ^ '30 Emerging Voices' - "The Alecs... produce programs that are hip and sophisticated for younger viewers who can't stomach most other religious programming. Unless other broadcasters figure out a way to reconnect with younger viewers, it is likely that GOD TV's debut in the United States will send channel surfers in the Alecs' direction.", Charisma (magazine), Lake Mary, FL, 31 July 2005.
- ^ 'Excellent directing from God TV. A very special production with excellent teaching from Angus.' CBC Media Awards, Best Live Event Programme, Angus Buchan's Mighty Men Event, Gold, The Christian Broadcasting Council of the UK, London
- ^ 'A different way to produce a major youth event... exciting, vibrant and beyond the norm.' CBC Media Awards, Best Youth Programme, Soul Survivor Extra, Gold, The Christian Broadcasting Council of the UK, London
- ^ Boone, Pat 'Living What We Believe', WorldNetDaily, July 31, 2010.
- ^ New World Schedule' GOD TV
- ^ [1]
- ^ 'GOD TV Tops 20 Million Homes in the USA' - "Global Christian broadcaster expands its distribution base to several key cities."
- ^ [2]
- ^ "God TV, la télévision évangéliste, propose une programmation basée sur la foi et la lecture de la Bible. Leur objectif : inviter un milliard d'âmes à assister à des conférences, des débats, de l'enseignement religieux. Aider à mieux vivre sa foi, voilà l'objectif de God TV."
- ^ 'CHRISTLICHES TV IN DEUTSCHLAND'
- ^ 'Angel Foundation, the' Charities Direct.com
- ^ [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/business-diary-krugman-sticks-it-to-the-fed-2050081.html 'Where to hear the word of God', The Independent Business Diary, Thursday, 12 August 2010.
- ^ "This video was made by us for GOD TV to showcase the effect GOD TV has had in the country of India. We have used a concept of a map in 3d, where the protagonist walks through the country as such and points to different locations explaining the reach and progress God TV has made in that area."
- ^ - "TheCall Kenya takes place in the same week as GOD TV opens an office in Nairobi with Eli Rop as GOD TV's new Regional Director for East Africa. In addition to being available across Kenya via satellite, GOD TV has three terrestrial transmitters in the nation reaching several million people." Christian Newswire
- ^ 'TOP TV'
- ^ - 'FREE CHRISTIAN SATELLITE TV - Australia and NZ'
- ^ 'Thousands Gather for GOD TV Israel Tour', Christianity Today 2 November 2007.
- ^ May, Pete '‘Why I love GOD TV’ - "I have found God. It's on 279, with just Fashion TV separating it from Granada Men and Motors. There's even an MTV-style 'God' logo in the corner of the screen as earnest American evangelists deliver hour-long Godbites.", The Guardian, London, 4 August 2003.
- ^ ‘In the circus of God’, The Daily Mail, London
- ^ http://www.e-n.org.uk/p-523-God's-TV-station.htm
- ^ http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/july/12.22.html?start=2
- ^ Lewis-Smith, Victor ‘God on the Box’ - "Before the ITC lost its few remaining teeth, it roundly condemned The GOD Channel for its denigration of other beliefs, and fined it £20,000 for its denunciations of homosexuality as an abomination.", The New Humanist, 2002.
- ^ 'GOD Channel may close.’ - "GOD TV has announced a critically important GOD TV Broadcast Alert, as the network faces financial difficulty. The network wishes to raise 4 million dollars in eight days.", Virgin Media Blog, London, 24 May 2010.
- ^ 'Jesus Recruited: God-TV Helps Israel Oust Bedouin.' - "Half a million trees planted over the past 18 months on the ancestral lands of Bedouin tribes in Israel's Negev region were bought by a controversial Christian evangelical television channel that calls itself God-TV.", Palestine Chronicle, 28th December 2010.
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